Like last year, I arrived at Tilles a half hour before the ceremony. I immediately mingled with all that had gathered in the atrium as I set up my equipment. I noticed there was a mixer behind the platform where the interviews would take place. I went to the Abrams Communications Building, the home of WCWP, to ask Director of Broadcasting Dan Cox if he had an 1/8″ to 1/4″ cable so I could record from the mixer to my Tascam DR-03. He had a 1/8″ cable and an adapter, so I was set. When I got back to the atrium, I connected the cable and adapter to a line out jack, checked the levels, and started recording.

Shortly after 1:00, the ceremony began with an introduction by the aforementioned Dan Cox…:

…and a video narrated by Jim Cutler:

2015 inductee Jeff Kroll hosted again:

Dan Cox returned to present the first of two new awards. The WCWP Lifetime Achievement Award was given to “Grandfather Rock” Chris MacIntosh:

He shared some stories from his 37 years hosting Rock & Soul Gospel:

Back in 2016, the one year I couldn’t attend, WCWP’s sage secretary Ann Gaffney, a.k.a. Mrs. G, was posthumously inducted to the Hall of Fame. Her daughter Cathy Turner accepted on her behalf.

Cathy returned this year to present Kristina Huderski with the Ann Gaffney Student Service Award:

Kristina graduates this Friday.

2014 inductee Ted David recorded a message to the inductees from Florida:

2012 inductee Hank Neimark and 2017 inductee John LiBretto introduced Muffet Provost (“pro-VO”), then interviewed her over the phone:

Muffet was unable to attend due to impending surgery.

It was hard to make out what she was saying through the Atrium speakers, but she’s a little clearer in the video below.

2017 inductee Neil Marks introduced Pat Kroll (née Champion):

Pat read a thank you speech…:

…then reminisced with Jeff and Neil:

The obligatory view from my camcorder:

Jeff read a message from Joel Feltman:

Pat’s friend Joanne had a few words:

2015 inductee Bruce Leonard introduced Rev. John Commins:

None of us realized this at the time, but the year on the plaque is wrong. I should be ’73, not ’79. John noticed the error at his hotel afterward. Jeff Kroll promised on Facebook that John will receive a replacement plaque with the correct year.

5/28 UPDATE: John’s replacement arrived a few days ago. He took a picture which he shared in his Facebook timeline:

Jeff presented John with a CD of WCWP’s coverage of the Bar Beach (now North Hempstead Beach) Fireworks broadcast from 1987:

Jeff shipped the original cassettes to me last month and I remastered them.

A shot of John’s wife Marilyn while he shared the story of how they met:

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us today at the seventh annual induction to the WCWP Hall of Fame!”:

Dan had Pat and John sign one of the posters:

Bruce, John, and Jeff posed with 2016 inductee Joe Honerkamp before he left:

John also prayed for Joe’s healing following a recent accident:

The cake:

Chris MacIntosh with his award:

Chris with Jay Mirabile:

Kristina Huderski with her award:

John LiBretto, Diane Hudson Taylor, Hank Neimark:

I had to pose with John and the CD I made for him:

My friend and hype man Jay Mirabile:

Pat Kroll and her mother Marion:

Pat and John:

The Krolls and the Commins’:

I always enjoy capturing these events and mingling with my fellow alumni. I feel deeply loved and appreciated. They’re my second family. I love you all. Congratulations to Muffet Provost, Pat Kroll, John Commins, Chris MacIntosh, and Kristina Huderski.

Here is the video:

Thanks to Dan Cox for providing the audio cable and adapter, and the introductory video. Thanks to Ted David for posting his segment to Facebook. My video was shot on a Panasonic HC-V770 camcorder with a Takstar SGC-598 shotgun mic. The audio from the mic can only be heard a few times. (A sound check in the auditorium disrupted Dan’s introduction a few minutes in, which is why there’s a jump dissolve.)